Continuous draw-bar attachment



(No Model.)

J. SEATH. CONTINUOUS DRAW BAR ATTACHMENT.

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lNVENTOI? Patented Apr. 30,1895.

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WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PAT NT @FFTCE.

JAMES SEATH, OF TER RE HAUTE, INDIANA.

CONTINUOUS DRAW'-BAR ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,539, dated April 30, 1895.

Application fil d August 24,1894. Serial No. 521,183. (No model.)

The object of my invention is to provide acontinuous drawbar attachment for railway equipment,which will be practical, simple and durable, and capable of application readily to any form of drawbar.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. e Figure l is a plan view of two draw-bars and the improved coupling connecting the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view, upon a larger scale, of one of the draw-bars audits connection. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section-taken transversely through the springs contained in the drawbar and their seats or pockets and through the draft or hitching timbers, the said section being taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the spring seats or pock-- ets detached.

The drawbar 10may be of any form,and as is customary, is placed between draft or hitching timbers 11, attached to the sills and transom of a car. The drawbar at its inner end has bearing against a follower 12, the said follower being in the nature of a plate and loosely located between recesses 13, made in the inner face of the draft or hitching timbers, and a portion of the wall of each of said recesses is provided with a wear plate 14, in order that the follower shall not wear or chafe the said timbers.

Back of the follower, seats or pockets A, are stationarily locatedbetween the hitching timbers, as shown best in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.. The said seats or pockets are provided in their front faces with recesses to receive springs,

and said springs have bearing against the follower, exerting tension thereonin an outward direction. The seats or pockets A are secured to the hitching timbers by means of bolts, or their equivalents, extending through transverse perforations formed in the rear parts of the seats A behind the recesses which receive ing portions A formed at top and bottom of the forward enlarged portions of the said spring seats, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the said straps having free movement between said portions A and owing to the rounded form of the edges thereof, the drawhead is permitted to move slightly from side to side being at the same time guided in its longi tudiual movement over the said seats. The two straps 15 are connected at their rear ends by a thimble 16. A draft rod 17, is passed around the thimble 16, being bent upon itself to form a loop for that purpose, and the members of the draft rod are carried rearward one at each side of the king bolt or center 'pin 18, and are preferably made to terminate at their rear ends in turn buckles 19, or other devices capable of taking up slack. The thimble 16, is free to move between the members of the draft rod 17 when the drawbar is forced rearward or returns to its normal position. Finally the draft rods of the two couplers on a car are connected, as shown in Fig. 1, rendering the drawbar attachment a continuous one.

The object of the connection being made in the manner above set forth is that when the bufling springs are compressed by contact with the couplers of other cars, or other objects, the said springs allow the thimble 16 to be driven back into the opening between the members of the draft rod, relieving any tendency to buckle on the part of the said rods.

Another feature of this device is the pasking bolt or center pin, thereby enabling the.

sage of the draft rods on either side of the terference.

This device can be used with single or with multiple butting springs according to the capacity or formation of the seats or pockets A, or it may be used in connection with other spring devices. When the drawhead contacts with an opposing coupler, and is pushed in ward, the buffing springs will be compressed, and the drawbar is free to slide in a rearward direction.

The action of this attachment having been described with reference to the bulfing strain, I will now proceed to describe its action under draft strain, which does not differ materially from other continuous drawbar attachments.

lVhen the drawbar on one end of a car is drawn forward the draft rods connected with the said drawbar transfer the strain to the opposite end of the car and draw the other head in the same direction against its follower, thus compressing the batting spring on the opposite end of the car, and the caris then pushed Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a continuous drawbar attachment for railway equipment, the combination, with a yielding drawbar, of straps attached to opposite sides of the same, a thimble secured to the straps, and a draft rod passed around the said thimble and adapted for connection with the draftrod of another coupler, the thimble having sliding movement between the memhers ofthe draft rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a drawbar attachment for railway equipment, the combination, with hitching timbers, a drawbarhaving sliding movement between said timbers, pockets or seats secured to the timbers, springs located in or against said pockets or seats, and a follower against which the springs and the drawbar have bearing, of straps secured to opposite faces of the drawbar, extending rearwardly therefrom, a thimble located between the free ends of the straps, and a draft rod bent upon itself around the thimble, forming a link in which the thimble has movement, the said rod being adapted for connection with the draft rod of a similar attachment located at the opposite end of the car, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a draw-bar attachment, a rear spring seat having an enlarged front portion adapted .to fit into recesses formed in the inner sides of the hitching timbers and having a recessed front face to receive the springs, the rear end of said seat being of less width than the front portion and adapted to fit between the inner facesof the hitching timbers back of the re- Icesses therein, and transverse bolts extending through the said reduced end of the seat and adapted to secure the same to the hitching 

